Earlier this month, 2,100 information technology (IT) professionals at the University of California (UC) voted overwhelmingly to join the University Professional and Technical Employees-CWA (UPTE-CWA Local 9119). This was the largest tech industry organizing campaign in U.S. history and brings the total number of IT workers in the bargaining unit to 8,400, making it the largest tech union in the country.

IT workers cited layoff protections, wage increases, and AI governance as key issues. Worker titles include application programmers, business systems analysts, data systems analysts, database administrators, information systems analysts, and instructional designers. These workers keep California’s public university running. They build and maintain the digital infrastructure behind patient care at UC’s medical centers, power the research systems scientists across the state rely on, and design the learning tools that serve hundreds of thousands of students.

“We know when you try to make quick, dirty decisions to cut labor through AI, you're actually creating a more vulnerable system,” said UPTE-CWA Local 9119 President Dan Russell. “On paper, AI can make us more 'productive' at our jobs, but the people making those recommendations to UC are management consultants who don't have the knowledge or expertise we have as workers. With the right to bargain over our working conditions, we can set the right tone not just for our workplace and tech organizations, but also for the millions of Californians who turn to UC every day for critical research, healthcare, and educational opportunities.”

The organizing campaign involved dozens of IT workers who reached out to their colleagues via Zoom, Microsoft Teams, e-mail, and social media, as well as physical outreach across departments and by knocking on doors.

Congratulations to the IT workers for organizing a highly effective campaign, engaging with one another, and winning a victory for workers across the public university system nationwide.

 
Tech workers at the University of California system have organized the largest tech union in the country. IT professionals took a moment to celebrate, along with UPTE-CWA Local 9119 President Dan Russell (center in blue with hat).

Last week, AT&T workers covered by the Orange Mobility contract ratified a new agreement covering 9,000 workers in customer service, retail, technical support, and other positions across 36 states and the District of Columbia.

The four-year contract includes a top-tier benefits package and industry-leading wage increases. Other highlights include new job security provisions, call center scheduling improvements, and more.

“This is a strong contract that delivers long overdue benefits and wage increases while securing jobs for the workers who make AT&T millions,” said CWA District 1 Vice President Dennis Trainor. “This agreement serves as a reminder that strong contracts are not just won at the bargaining table, but in the streets and on the shop floor where CWA members mobilize and fight for their fellow AT&T workers and the customers they serve.”

The gains made in this new contract are a direct result of pressure on the company through member-led mobilizations. Throughout negotiations, AT&T workers across the country held the company accountable for its broken promises on a wide range of issues directly impacting workers by engaging and educating their coworkers, pamphleting AT&T-sponsored events, and participating in a strike authorization vote.

Congratulations to our AT&T Orange Mobility members on their new contract!

 
CWA Local 6360 members at Mid-Continent Public Library held “I’m Voting YES!” signs during their union election vote.

Last week, workers at Mid-Continent Public Library (MCPL) decisively won their union election, with over 65% of union eligible workers voting yes to joining CWA Local 6360. The new bargaining unit represents nearly 700 part-time and full-time librarians, early literacy associates, information technology staff, delivery services staff, and other workers who keep the library system running.

“From everyone that was there in the beginning four years ago to those that started supporting this week, we couldn't have done it without each and every one of us,” said MCPL Workers United-CWA Local 6360 member and MCPL Green Hills Early Literacy Associate Kelli Mulligan Lindsey. “Together we can do anything, and together we can continue to make the library a place for everyone in our community.”

MCPL is one of the largest public library systems in the United States, covering three counties across the Kansas City metropolitan area and serving over 880,000 residents.

In March, workers gathered at the North Independence Branch to announce that more than 60% of union-eligible employees had signed a public declaration in support of forming a union. Library workers say the union will give them a stronger voice in decisions that shape services, staffing, safety, and access across the system.

For additional union updates, follow MCPL Workers United-CWA Local 6360 on Instagram and Facebook.

Last week, CWA District 3 Organizing Coordinator Akeyia Johnson went public with news that workers at Novel Booksellers in Memphis, Tenn., had organized to form the Novel Booksellers Union (NBU-CWA). At the press conference, guests included Tennessee State Representative Justin Pearson (D-09) and CWA Assistant Organizing Director Gail Tyree. The booksellers won their union election with a clear supermajority in favor.

Novel Booksellers has served as a hub for literature, learning, and community connection for more than four decades. From hosting author events and book clubs to partnering with local schools, writers, and organizations, the bookstore has played a vital role in the cultural life of Memphis. The booksellers who power this work say their decision to organize came from a deep love for the store and the community.

“We show up every day for our customers and each other,” said Gordon Pera, a Novel Booksellers worker. “We are proud of the welcoming and inclusive space we create. Unionizing is about ensuring that the people who sustain this institution are treated with dignity, fairness, and respect.”

Workers organized to secure fair compensation, a voice in decisions that affect their work and livelihoods, and clear workplace protections. Booksellers say these steps are essential not only for their own stability but also for the long-term health of Novel as a community institution. They emphasized that their organizing efforts align with Novel’s longstanding mission of community investment and engagement and expressed hope that investors and leadership will recognize their union and bargain toward a fair contract.

Click here to watch a video of the press conference on Instagram.

On May 9, CWA Director of Human Rights, Education, and Health & Safety Angie Wells delivered the keynote address at the University of Iowa Labor Center’s (UILC) 75th Anniversary celebration. The UILC has delivered decades of important worker education to people in Iowa and across the country. Through a strong partnership, CWA and the UILC have been teaching organizing and leadership principles to the international union community since 1967.

Wells gave an inspiring speech, recalling the shared history between CWA and the Labor Center and looking to the future of the fight for worker dignity and safety. Over 200 guests attended the event, which also included recipients of the Labor Center Legacy Awards and additional speakers from across the state of Iowa.

“We are reminded,” said Wells, “that progress has never been given. It has always been fought for and won. Our collective history is not just a record of what has been—it is guiding us toward what is possible.

And the Labor Center reminds us that ordinary people, when organized and united, can collectively achieve extraordinary change. It tells us that even in the face of uncertainty, solidarity is always our greatest strength. And it shows us that the future of work is not something we must accept—but it is something we have the power to shape.”

 
CWA Director of Human Rights, Education, and Health & Safety Angie Wells delivered the keynote address at the University of Iowa Labor Center 75th Anniversary celebration.

The following statement is from CWA President Claude Cummings Jr.:

Texas’s 18th Congressional District has long held a special role in the fight for civil rights. It is the seat of power that launched the careers of champions from Barbara Jordan to Sheila Jackson Lee to Sylvester Turner. Now, the torch of the 18th has been passed to Representative Christian Menefee, a leader who has already shown himself to be a fighter for working people as the first Black Harris County Attorney.

I also want to express my gratitude for a true champion for working people, Congressman Al Green, who was steadfast in his support of the labor movement through his decades of public service and fought for our civil rights. In fact, he's often been ahead of his time. Everyone is seeing the attack on voting rights and civil rights today. Well back in 2008, when Texas officials tried to make it harder for Prairie View A&M students to vote, Congressman Green led the entire Congressional Black Caucus to demand that the Department of Justice step in and protect equal opportunity to the ballot box.

While I count both candidates as true friends of working people, this election also marked a great loss for the people of Houston. This election was shaped and deformed by a Supreme Court that ruled to unwind decades of voter gains and remove all voting power for Black and brown communities. Houston’s voting maps were redrawn because the Voting Rights Act was gutted.

Now that the election is over, it is time for us to unite against the real threat to democracy. Working people across this country are watching what happened in Houston, in Louisiana, in Alabama, in Florida, in Mississippi, and in Tennessee. When politicians grow so bold as to think that it is they who pick the voters, we must exercise the power of our ballots to show that power rests always with the people. Now is the time to put aside the politics of the primary season and focus on electing leaders who will defend our democracy against the bullies and the billionaires.

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About CWA: The Communications Workers of America represents working people in telecommunications, customer service, media, airlines, health care, public service and education, manufacturing, tech, and other fields.

cwa-union.org @cwaunion

Nearly 700 library workers vote to join Communications Workers of America Local 6360 in Kansas City

Kansas City, Mo. — Workers at the Mid-Continent Public Library (MCPL) — one of the largest public library systems in the United States — have won their union election in a landslide, voting 436 to 164 to join the Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local 6360. Their union election win comes amid a wave of library and public-sector organizing across the country and adds nearly 700 workers to CWA's growing public-sector membership.

“We are the heart and soul of the library,” said MCPL Workers United-CWA Local 6360 member and MCPL Platte City Library Center Programming Associate Jennie Broyles. “With this victory, we will now have the rights, protections, and tools needed to provide our communities with the best library service in the country.”

The Mid-Continent Public Library covers three counties across the Kansas City metropolitan area, serving more than 880,000 residents. The new bargaining unit represents nearly 700 part-time and full-time librarians, early literacy associates, information technology staff, delivery services staff, and other employees who keep the library system running.

“We love the work we do, but for too long, we have been left out of key decisions. This win means we finally have a real voice to build a fairer workplace,” said MCPL Workers United-CWA Local 6360 member and MCPL Colbern Road Library Center CSA Jordan Noland. “An overwhelming majority like this leaves absolutely no room for doubt. I’m so incredibly proud of everyone for standing strong together, and we’re ready to carry this exact energy to the bargaining table.”

In March, workers gathered at the North Independence Branch to announce that more than 60% of union-eligible employees had signed a public declaration of support. Library workers say the union will give them a stronger voice in decisions that shape services, staffing, safety, and access across the system.

“From everyone that was there in the beginning four years ago to those that started supporting this week, we couldn't have done it without each and every one of us,” said MCPL Workers United-CWA Local 6360 member and MCPL Green Hills Early Literacy Associate Kelli Mulligan Lindsey. “Together we can do anything, and together we can continue to make the library a place for everyone in our community.”

MCPL Workers United-CWA Local 6360 will now work toward bargaining a first union contract. Workers say their priorities include addressing chronic understaffing, raising wages for the lowest-paid library staff, ensuring safety on the job, and making sure decisions at MCPL reflect the expertise of the people who serve the community every day.

“This is an incredible victory for MCPL workers, who demonstrated the power working-class people have when they unite to build real power on the job,” said CWA District 6 Vice President Derrick Osobase. “This victory will inspire workers across our District as we organize to build the working-class movement so urgently needed to meet this moment in our country.”

For union updates, follow MCPL Workers United-CWA Local 6360 on Instagram and Facebook.

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About CWA

The Communications Workers of America represents working people in telecommunications, customer service, media, airlines, health care, public service and education, manufacturing, tech, and other fields.

cwa-union.org @cwaunion

The four-year agreement includes an improved benefits package, industry-leading wage increases, and more.

NATIONWIDE – AT&T Orange Mobility workers, represented by the Communications Workers of America (CWA), have ratified a new contract that covers 9,000 workers in customer service, retail, technical support, and other positions across 36 states and the District of Columbia.

The four-year agreement includes a top-tier benefits package and industry-leading wage increases. Other highlights include new job security provisions, call center scheduling improvements, and more.

“This is a strong contract that delivers long overdue benefits and wage increases while securing jobs for the workers who make AT&T millions,” said Dennis G. Trainor, Vice President, CWA District 1. “This agreement serves as a reminder that strong contracts are not won at the bargaining table but in the streets and on the shop floor where CWA members mobilize and fight for their fellow AT&T workers and the customers they serve.”

On March 19, over 95 percent of AT&T workers covered by the Orange Mobility contract voted to give CWA President Claude Cummings Jr. the authority to call a strike if negotiations between CWA and the telecom company failed to reach a fair agreement. A tentative agreement was reached with the company on April 30, and after a two-week voting period, an overwhelming majority of workers voted to ratify the agreement.

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About CWA: The Communications Workers of America represents working people in telecommunications, customer service, media, airlines, health care, public service and education, manufacturing, tech, and other fields.

From May 3 to May 5, members, staff, and retirees from CWA District 7 gathered in Park City, Utah, for their annual conference. Attendees celebrated victories, shared skills, and strategized for the upcoming year. The meeting also included workshops and breakout sessions dedicated to such topics as telecom organizing, environmental justice, and fighting oligarchy.

During the opening session, attendees heard from several speakers, including CWA President Claude Cummings Jr.; CWA District 7 Vice President Susie McAllister; Public, Healthcare, and Education Workers Vice President Margaret Cook; Summit County Council Member Megan McKenna; and Central Utah Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO President Brandon Dew.

President Cummings spoke passionately about the work happening within our union, saying, “We are waging battles over BEAD funding and broadband buildouts. We are winning strong language on artificial intelligence to protect our workers in industries from tech to journalism to video gaming. We are winning protections for our healthcare workers so they have the staffing levels and security they need to do their jobs and get home safely after their shift is over. But, more than this, we are defending our shared values of equality, fairness, and justice. And we are fighting for what matters most to us.”

Attendees also heard directly from CWA Local 7250 officers about their Local’s fight against the illegal occupation of Minnesota communities by federal troops.

“We all need to ramp up our efforts to defend elections from interference and be prepared to fight,” said Vice President McAllister, “just as every day Minnesotans have done—with everything at our disposal. Our union needs to unlock the resources we have in order to fight back—not just defending ourselves from attack, but also building the world and workplaces we want to see.”

 
CWA members, staff, and retirees gathered in Utah for the CWA District 7 Annual Conference. In the photo above, attendees held up fists of resistance, joined by CWA District 7 Vice President Susie McAllister (at center in pink) and CWA President Claude Cummings Jr (right of McAllister in black).

On May 1, members of the NABET-CWA bargaining team reached an overall tentative agreement with ABC-TV on a successor Master Agreement. This milestone comes more than four months prior to the expiration of the existing contract extension.

The new Master Agreement will include provisions like significant increases in benefit payments for daily hire employees; increased work opportunities for NABET-CWA members on sports productions airing on broadcast networks, cable, and streaming services; and new guidelines and protections related to the use of generative artificial intelligence.

The general economics of the tentative agreement are substantial. General wage increases during the term of the agreement are 3%, 4%, 3%, and 3.75%. These wage increases follow two previous increases negotiated during the contract extension period of 5%, effective April 1, 2025, and 3.5%, effective April 1, 2026.

With information about the deal belonging first to the members, both parties agreed to avoid publicity until members could learn details directly from Local and Sector leadership. NABET-CWA Locals will hold informational meetings about the content of the tentative agreement. Members should be on the lookout for notifications of the dates and times for those meetings.

If ratified, the new contract will take effect on October 1, 2026, and will run through March 31, 2031.

Congratulations, NABET-CWA members!